


The Stone vs The Sea

by commanderlurker (honeybee592)



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Emetophobia, F/F, Flirting, Pirates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-09-21 00:36:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9523394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeybee592/pseuds/commanderlurker
Summary: Dwarves weren't meant to sail but Isabela can be persuasive.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [worstcommander](https://archiveofourown.org/users/worstcommander/gifts).



> Written for worstcommander for the 2017 Chocolate Box exchange.

Dwarves were of the stone. They were meant to live underground, surrounded by solid walls that they’d carved (or blown up) themselves. Stone was immovable. Stone was immutable. Stone was constant. Stone did not pitch and roll and heave and smell of salt. Dwarves were not meant to sail.

Carta dwarves were smart and fast, keen and shrewd. All of them. No exceptions. Well, okay, that was a bald faced lie, but those who lacked the aforementioned skills did not live long enough to really become useful, due-paying members of the carta.

Carta dwarves, by and large, kept their heads down and didn’t attract attention. They didn’t survive explosions that no else could. They didn’t acquire magical green glowing hands (dwarves did not have magic, full stop). They didn’t become the leader of one of the most powerful political, military, and religious groups in the whole of Thedas.

They also didn’t get captured by pirates.

All this demonstrates that Seryn was, despite all evidence so far, perhaps not the best smuggler the Carta had raised. Or she was unlucky. Very unlucky. Probably the latter.

Seryn rolled over and stuck her head out the conveniently placed window--porthole--whatever, and voided her breakfast into that heaving blue-grey sea.

The whole being-captured-by-pirates was by far the most embarrassing thing that had happened since she’d walked out of the Fade with magical fisting abilities. Her own fault for letting her guard down. Who knew pirates were so… dashing? Dashing and gorgeous and sexy. Honestly, captured by the very woman she’d been ogling? If she ever got out of this, she’d never live it down.

As for getting out of this… Well, she was stuck on a boat in the middle of the sea. Not like she could just slip (or fight) her way out and disappear into the forest. She couldn’t even swim!

Seryn looked around her quarters. Very nice for a prison. Weren’t ship prisons--brigs--whatever, supposed to be right under the waterline, in the hold with no windows, lined with straw and a bucket if you were lucky? This brig had a plush bed (that Seryn was wiping her puky mouth on right now) and even a hammock. A table bolted to the floor was covered with maps and bottles of wine and… rum, perhaps. Pirates drank rum, right? A big fancy hat with a long white feather stuck in it sat on a chest. Chests had booty in them. Seryn  liked booty. She’d just conjured the energy to crawl over to that chest and fill her pockets with diamonds and gold when the door opened and in walked that dashing pirate with the legs that went all the way down.

“Glad to see you’re awake, sweet thing. And still alive. Barely. Are you okay? You look dreadful.” Her cocky smile turned down, smooth brow wrinkling. She sauntered over to the bed, completely ignoring the way the floor tilted in the wrong direction, sat down, and pressed her palm to Seryn’s forehead. Great. Just what she needed. Mothering.

“I’m fine. I’m just--” Seryn was not fine. Not fine at all. How was she supposed to talk her way out of captivity if she had vomit in her mouth?

“You’re not fine. You’re as sick as a dog. Maker, I’ve never seen someone hate the sea as much you. Here, drink this. It’ll help.”

It could also be poison. Seryn could be drinking her death. Did she care? Not really. The sweet embrace of the Stone would be preferable to this shit heap. She downed the bitter syrup in one go, gulping to keep it down, then followed it with the water that the pirate offered. Their fingers brushed as Seryn took the mug and still the butterflies flew through her soupy stomach.

The lurching seasickness ebbed away with every unbelieving blink.

“Feeling better already? Good!” The pirate grinned. She was very nice for a pirate.

With Seryn’s sickness gone, her suspiciousness returned. “Would you be so kind as to tell me what you want from me?” The sweetness of her voice threatened to make her ill again but she figured she’d best use some of that polite chat Josephine had taught her. No good making a pirate angry by being rude.

“How about some introductions first? I’m Admiral Isabela, pirate queen of the Waking Sea.”

“Aren’t admirals part of a law-abiding navy, rather than pirates?”

“Shush you. If I say I’m an admiral, then I’m an admiral. Who’s going to stop me? Anyway. Introductions.” She twirled her hand at Seryn. An elegant flick of the wrist.

“You must know who I am,” Seryn said. Isabela just quirked her eyebrow and said nothing. “Come on. You just go about smashing into any old ship you see? Even ones with an armed guard and lots of canons that go _boom_ as you continue to sail closer?”

“The more guarded the ship, the more valuable the prize.”

Seryn scoffed. “Please. Like that’s--”

“Okay, fine. You’re Seryn Cadash, Herald of Andraste, Inquisitor, blah blah blah. Honestly, I was just trying flirt with you. You seemed interested.”

“You figured that out while attacking my ship?”

Isabela continued, ignoring Seryn’s question. “Hand on heart, I didn’t know you were on board. I knew the ship belonged to the Inquisition and I knew that it had run out of a port known for smuggling. I thought it might’ve disrupted a lucrative venture of mine so I sailed in to find out. By the time we’d disabled the ship and I’d realised just who was on board, it was too late to say sorry and wave goodbye. Had to see it through. Got lucky I guess. So, you’re here now, but it won’t be for long. We’ll run up the coast and drop you back off in Jader nice and easy.”

She looked like she was telling the truth. Seryn hoped she was, anyway. But even if she wasn’t, the Inquisition would give chase. Were probably doing so right now. In the meantime, Seryn just had to… relax? Take it easy? That would make a nice change. Just kick back, watch the world go by.... Sounded perfect. “So…”

“So…” Captain Admiral Isabela’s smile turned wicked. Her teeth gleamed.

Seryn tried her best to keep her eyes on Isabela’s but she couldn’t help herself: her gaze slipped south and she was rewarded with a bounty of bosom. Her hand lifted on its own, reaching out in awe. Isabela’s made the intercept, closing around her wrist and pushing her down to the bed. She had a strong grip, fingers hot and rough from a life working rope.

Isabela tutted. “Before we do any of that, we need to get you cleaned up. You may have found your sea legs but you smell like something the anchor dragged up. Come on.” She slipped off the bed and held her hand out for Seryn. Seryn took it and Isabela quirked her eyebrow. “You know, I once knew a man whose fist glowed blue. I wonder if green is any different.”

Seryn grinned. Maybe dwarves were meant to sail after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I had intended there to be smut! But! They had to talk!


End file.
